European Responsible Gaming Standards (ERGS)

The European Lotteries (EL) is a member organisation promoting the development of European gaming. In 2007 it released its Responsible Gaming (RG) Standards. These standards had a number of objectives, but broadly they were designed to ensure integrity in the industry, stipulate clear rules for EL membership, identify and promote RG best practice and to protect the interest of players.

In order to be a member of the European Lotteries, it is obligatory for a lottery to report progress against these standards and to have them assessed by an independent party. The standards are designed to be complementary to the World Lottery Association Responsible Gaming Framework; the main difference being that these standards focus on the application of principles- they specify actual outputs.

The standards are separated into 10 main points and a cover a broad range of commitments. They are very briefly summarised below, however a link to the download can be found at the top of the page:

1. Research- promote and acknowledge research in the area.
2. Employee Training- provide RG programmes for workers as well as relevant RG training for relevant employees.
3. Sales Agents' Programmes- provide broad range of RG training and information to all sales agents and vendors of lottery products.
4. Game Design- properly examine risk factors of games, and act accordingly.
5. Remote Gaming Channels- consider RG factors with remote gaming (mobiles, internet and TV) and guarantee certain listed measures.
6. Advertising and Marketing- commit to responsible advertising (no misleading, no targeting of vulnerable groups etc).
7. Treatment Referral- forge links with problem gambling organisations and treatment centres to understand effect of products and for referral of problem gamers.
8. Player Education- suitably inform players on issues of responsible gaming through provision of accessible information.
9. Stakeholder Engagement- regular informal and formal engagement- reported on, and considered in decision-making process.
10. Reporting, Measurement & Certification- report impact of RG programmes to stakeholders. Report on targets, policies, commitments and indicators. Must be independently verified.